Residents of Old Harbour in St Catherine are set to benefit from a state-of-the-art health centre in the town.

Ground was broken earlier this month for the US$6 million Old Harbour Comprehensive Health Centre, construction of which is expected to be completed in 2026.

The project is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, through the Health Systems
Strengthening Programme (HSSP).

“This facility is offering what no other facility has offered to date. It is not just about the size and the newness of it, but the kind of diagnostic equipment that will be here. Pharmacy and labs are major additions so they don’t have to go to Spanish Town. It is going to offer specialised services, where specialised doctors will come periodically,” Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said at the launch.

The Old Harbour Comprehensive Health Centre, a 2,000-square-metre facility that will serve approximately 10,000 people per month, will be located on East Street in Old Harbour.

It will replace the current Old Harbour Health Centre, a type 3 facility that serves over 17,000 residents annually but is hindered by space constraints, according to the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA).

The regional authority added that the new comprehensive health centre will offer a wide range of primary healthcare services, including specialist clinics, and critical services such as pharmacy, laboratory, ECG, phlebotomy, X-ray, physiotherapy, and screenings for ophthalmology and audiometry.

In response to the growing demand for healthcare in the area, the new centre will also house dedicated sections for dentistry, mental health, and maternal and child health, SERHA said.